


Missing Persons

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-14
Updated: 2006-11-14
Packaged: 2019-05-31 10:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15117179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "Zoey is my heart and CJ is yours.  If she dies, your soul will know...you are connected."





	Missing Persons

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: Thank you, thank you, thank you to Murry, who gave me an idea we laughed off and then I found inspiration in. When my back is against the wall I always feel like she is right there fighting with me. She believes in the writing and she believes in me.  


* * *

It was almost nine thirty; Leo expected her over two hours ago. He had called her cell phone right after seven and got voicemail. Figuring she was in a meeting, Leo left a message to call him. She had not so he called back just a few minutes ago. This time it went straight to voicemail…Leo did not like that at all. 

Once, when they first starting seeing each other, Leo turned off his cell phone so the couple could have a little privacy. It wasn’t as if he did not have his pager for emergencies. CJ just threw her phone in the drawer and she said to him; Leo would never forget it ‘If you call me and it goes straight to voicemail I'm probably dead.’ At the time he laughed, told her she was morbid. 

Now standing in their den, a cold chill set in his blood. OK, OK, he would try to calm down. He would call Nora…this was probably all easy to explain. Before he could find her in the phone book, his cell started to buzz. Leo flipped it open.

“CJ?”

“Do you love your wife, Mr. McGarry?”

“Who the hell is this?”

“You must, she loves you…she called out for you. She begged for you.”

“Who the fuck is this? Where is my wife?”

“She is in a bad way. A really bad way.”

The voice sounded so familiar to him but Leo could not place it. It was slurred, or garbled in some way.

“If anything happens to her I will kill you.”

“I'm already dead. She, however, has a little time. She’s pretty too; is she good in bed?”

“I swear to God, I will kill you. Don’t you touch her!”

“I'm going to do whatever the hell I want to her, and then I will kill her. Maybe after that we will be even. Goodnight, Mr. McGarry.”

There was a click and the phone line was dead. Leo could hear his heart banging in his chest; thumping in his ear. This was not happening, it could not be happening. Oh dear God, someone had snatched his wife. He pressed three on his cell phone.

“Butterfield.”

“Ron, its Leo McGarry. Someone has kidnapped my wife.”

***

The FBI and Secret Service had taken over the McGarry den. Ron Butterfield sent in the team that was supposed to report on Monday plus two more field agents as well as two cars on the house. Almost an hour had passed and there had been no other phone calls. Leo sat on the couch, smoking a cigarette and trying to keep from trembling. This really could not be happening. He had seen it on the news thousands of times but never imagined it would happen to his family.

“Mr. McGarry, I am Agent Danielle Crocker and this is Agent Rob Davis. We are going to have to ask you some questions.”

“Ask what you need to. I just want my wife back.”

“What was your wife wearing this morning?”

“Um, gray skirt, maroon blouse, and a gray suit jacket. She has brown hair and blue eyes…she is six feet tall. My wife stands out in a crowd.”

He handed them a picture he took of CJ on Election night. She was smiling, holding their daughter in her arms.

“Have you noticed anything suspicious over the past couple of days or weeks?”

“No.” Leo shook his head. “We’ve been really busy and haven’t had much time together. She was looking forward to family time this weekend.”

“And she had no cause to leave?” Agent Davis asked.

“No. CJ would not leave without calling me. She would not leave the kids without warning. Her cell phone is never off.”

“How is your marriage, Mr. McGarry?”

“It’s a marriage; it has ups and downs like they all do. I love my wife and would never hurt her so don’t waste her time barking up that tree.”

“Is there anyone who would want to hurt your wife Mr. McGarry?” Agent Crocker asked.

“I've been in the game a long time…I am sure there are people who hate my guts. I don’t think anyone would do something like this. Is there going to be a ransom call or something?”

“We don’t know.” Agent Davis replied. “Now we wait and see. We have other agents interviewing White House staff; we are trying to get a timeline.”

“How long am I expected to wait?” Leo asked. “Some one is hurting my wife right now.”

“We don’t know that sir.”

“We don’t know that!” Leo screamed, jumping off the couch. “My wife disappeared into the night. People don’t do that just to play Parcheesi. You have to find her!”

Charlie came into the room then, rushing to Leo’s side.

“What are you doing here?” Leo asked.

“Ron called. You aren’t going through this alone.”

“Zoey…”

“Is safe in her apartment under Secret Service protection. We’re considering sending her to Manchester to be with her parents. I'm not leaving.”

He squeezed Leo’s shoulder and the older man nodded. He pulled his buzzing cell phone from his pocket…he had a text message.

“What does it say Mr. McGarry?” Agent Crocker asked.

“It says you’ve got mail.”

“Where’s your computer?” they asked.

“My laptop is in the bedroom.”

One of the police officers rushed up the stairs to get it, setting it up in the den. With a sigh Leo went to his AOL account and saw a message from an address he did not recognize.

“Oh my God.”

There in color were pictures of his wife. She wore panties and a white tee shirt. Tied to a chair, there was also a blindfold over her eyes. In the second picture she was down on her knees on a wood floor, grimacing in pain as someone held her hair in their gloved fist.

“CJ.” Leo gingerly touched the screen, unable to control his emotion. “Who would do this?”

There was a simple message under the photos. ‘Your chickens have come home to roost. Remember your past as your future fades away.’

“Do you know what that means, Mr. McGarry?”

“No.” Leo shook his head. “Excuse me, I think I am going to be sick.”

Leo rushed to the powder room as the FBI shut down his laptop.

“How do you plan on finding this person?” Charlie asked.

“By digging into Leo McGarry’s past.” Agent Crocker replied. “Of course, we really don’t know how much time we have. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions Mr. Young?”

“Of course. I want to do everything I can to help.”

“Agent Bowler is going to take you in the kitchen.”

“Yeah, let me just check on Leo first.”

***

Toby held Nora as she cried. The FBI had questioned them thoroughly on the McGarry marriage and CJ’s mood over the past few weeks. No detail was going to be overlooked in her disappearance. It sounded to Toby as if they thought Leo was a suspect.

“He would never hurt her.” Nora said.

“I know that. They have to ask those questions.”

“They are wasting time.”

“There are agents investigating every angle. They are going to find her.”

Nora sat up and wiped her eyes. They were still at the White House and she had to talk to Donna. It was Friday night and the lid had to be reopened. Sunday editions were going to want to carry this story.

“I have to get myself together.” She said more to herself than to him.

“Yeah um…I’ll call the sitter. Come here.”

Toby hugged his wife again and Nora tried her best to hold back the emotion she felt. CJ had come to her office before she left the White House to talk as she always had. They both talked about spending time with their children. CJ was looking forward to the Sunday family outing with glee. Tim and Charlie were going to let loose, probably wear her down to the nub. Still, she was happy about the time she would have with them. They also discussed her Secret Service detail returning on Monday. While the former Chief of Staff was not thrilled about it, she took it in stride. It was part of the job and she trusted her old team. Leo said this was just precautionary; there were no direct threats. There was really nothing to worry about, right?

Just then, Hogan opened the door. She did not knock but as soon as she saw Nora’s face she knew the whispering of aides and assistants about something being wrong was not the usual gossip.

“I'm sorry for not knocking. What's going on? Everyone is whispering about something. The President is alright, isn’t she?”

“Um, Hogan I need to talk to you. Why don’t you come in and sit down.”

The young blonde nodded, coming into the office. Toby needed to go. He had to call the sitter and he just needed a few minutes by himself. There was a rage boiling under the surface that he had trouble holding in.

“What's going on?” Hogan asked.

“There is no easy way to say this so I’ll just say it. CJ left the White House at approximately eight o’clock, but she never arrived home.”

“What? Was she in an accident?”

“No.”

Nora told her everything she knew so far and watched the young woman’s face change from question to absolute horror.

“I'm not sure that I'm understanding you.” She said.

“You are.”

“Someone took her? What the hell does that mean?”

No one was quite sure. There had been no ransom call or demands for release of political prisoners. From what Nora could see, and she had not been made aware of any recent happenings, this was personal.

“Um…what…I…oh God.” Hogan ran her hands over her face and through her hair. “What do I do?”

“I wish I knew how to answer that. The FBI and local police are investigating. As horrible as it sounds, we have to wait.”

“Wait? That’s it?”

“That’s it. Maybe you should go home and try to rest. Perhaps you should call your parents.”

“They can't help.” Hogan muttered. She stood up, looking a bit disoriented. “Um, I guess I’ll just go home. Uncle Leo…”

“He is at home and Charlie is with him. Should I get you a ride?”

Hogan shook her head; she would hail a cab. She just needed to get the hell out of the White House.

“Do you need me here?” she asked.

“No. I want to tell you everything will be OK but I…”

They hugged and Hogan managed to keep control of her emotions.

“I understand. Goodnight Nora.”

Hogan left the office but knew she could not go home and watch the walls close in on her. She knew there was no way to help the investigation but she had to do something to keep her mind off the horrible things that could be happening to her beloved aunt at that very moment.

***

Charlie and Leo sat on the front porch watching the chilly April rain soak the Georgetown neighborhood. The police had been through the house to look for clues but were able to find nothing. The FBI asked Leo’s permission to sweep for bugs but the search came up negative. It was clear from the pictures sent to Leo that this was no ordinary kidnapping. They did not want money or fifteen minutes of fame…they wanted Leo McGarry to suffer. Who could hate him enough to commit an act like this? Next they were going to be looking into his past. He was a lifelong politician who certainly pissed off his fair share of individuals. The FBI didn’t even know where to start. Between this and the growing poison investigation, things were turning upside down in the nation’s capitol.

“What if she is already dead?”

It was the first thing Leo had said in fifteen minutes and Charlie just looked at him. They certainly did not need to be going down that road. Sighing, he took the cigarette from between Leo’s fingers and threw it away.

“You're not having another one. They're not good for your heart.”

“Charlie, someone has taken my wife. She was walking down a public street, and they can't find a single witness. How could this have happened?”

“I don’t know. Very good investigators are looking for her.”

“They don’t want us to find her…they intend to kill her. They may have already done so.”

“No.” Charlie shook his head.

“How can you be so sure? We don’t know how old those pictures were that they put up.”

“Why are you talking like this? You're just going to give up on CJ. When Zoey disappeared, I had an overwhelming sense of dread. I knew she was hurting but I also knew she was not dead. Zoey is my heart and CJ is yours. If she dies, your soul will know…you are connected.”

“I already feel like I’ve lost an arm. What the hell am I going to tell the kids?”

Tim and Charlie were four and three, respectively. They were smart, perceptive children; took after their parents. They would know something was wrong and Leo was not going to be able to hide that from them.

“Tell them as much of the truth as you can.” He replied.

“Charlie, they are kids. They are not going to understand and I won't scare them. I can't tell them that a maniac took their mother because I may have done something to piss them off.”

“Yeah. Look, let’s talk to them now. Mitch is upstairs with them and they are awake. We will think of something. The press is going to be on this soon and we have to protect them.”

Leo nodded. He was thinking of sending Mitch and the kids to his condo in Hawaii …keeping them out of the spotlight. It also concerned him that his children might be on some kind of hit list. He had failed their mother; he would not fail them.

“OK, let’s talk to them.”

***

Josh left the White House early tonight so he could go home and pack for the trip. Air Force Two would be leaving Andrews AFB Sunday morning at 9am sharp. The Vice-President and his new team would be traveling in style. Over the past six weeks Josh felt he had assembled an excellent group of people for his task. Bram was his Deputy, and while he was no Sam, he had quickly proven himself the man for the job. Edie was doing Presidential liaison work with the West Wing. Josh stole Annabeth and asked her to be Press Secretary…there were plenty of people itching to take her place working under Donna. 

Dash McTiernan was the new Communications Director. A maverick speechwriter during the Newman Administration, he steadily moved up in the ranks until he was Communications Director for the Minority Leader. Looking for a change, Josh plucked him before he made a permanent return to the private sector. Billie Campbell, a rookie who impressed Josh out on the trail, was to be his Deputy. Rounding out his cast was Laura Crawford and Trent Paulson as the Director and Deputy Director of International Affairs. The Vice-President was the world’s diplomat…his international traveling schedule was unprecedented. The International Affairs office was to keep Josh’s office constantly informed on what was happening in the political climate worldwide, to know what attitudes and possible situations the Vice-President would be facing on his travels abroad.

He went out to the living room when he thought he heard someone banging on his front door. Standing in the middle of the floor, Josh waited. Someone banged again and he went to the door. Opening it, he stared at a soaking wet Hogan.

“What are you doing here? You're soaking wet.”

Hogan was sobbing and Josh took her into his arms. He closed the door with his foot, holding tight to her. She was trembling and her heart beat so fast. Josh was afraid it would leap right out of her chest.

“Hey, tell me what's wrong.” Josh stroked her wet hair.

“CJ’s been kidnapped.” Hogan could hardly whisper it.

“What!” their bodies separated and he looked in her eyes.

“She left the White House around eight and never got home. The Secret Service and FBI are investigating.”

She started to cry again and Josh held her. This could not be happening…who would want to hurt CJ? Was anyone safe from harm right now? Was the Vice-President’s trip going to be moved back? He needed to call Agent Dan Cooper, head of the Vice-Presidential detail.

“You have to get something warm in you; you're shivering.” He kissed her forehead. “How about some soup?”

“OK.” Hogan nodded.

“Go into my room and change into something warm. I will get you that soup.”

“Thank you Josh. I did not mean to come and…”

“Don’t you dare. I'm glad you're here; I'm glad I can help you. Go ahead and change.”

Hogan kissed his lips softly. They had never kissed before and it was so soft Josh wasn’t sure they were kissing now. It lit a fire in him; he balled his hands into fists to keep from intensifying the moment. The last thing that needed to be on his mind right now was sex with a vulnerable woman that he cared for. Smiling a bit, Hogan walked through the living room and into Josh’s bedroom. He headed into the kitchen.

***

Ron Butterfield was ready to go home. He needed to put his arms around his wife and try to squeeze in eight hours of sleep. The President’s detail was secure and there was no point in starting to go through files for the poisoning investigation. It was after midnight; Ron could barely see straight as it was. He went around his office organizing paperwork and folders for Sunday morning. He would take tomorrow off, relax, maybe go to the firing range. Then it was right back into the thick of things to start the week. 

He knew about the situation with CJ McGarry but he was not actively involved…there was already too much on his plate. Agent Grayson would keep him up to date as the investigation intensified. Ron was worried that no one was safe anymore; the Secret Service was stretched right now. It did not help that there were possibly murderers amongst them. Sighing, Ron turned out the office lights and headed to the exit. He grabbed his ringing phone from his hip.

“Butterfield.”

“Sir, we have a serious problem. At last bed check, Smarty and Sassy did not respond. They were not in the bedroom. A thorough check of the residence came up negative.”

“Agent Richter, what are you telling me?”

“Iris and Isabelle McNally are missing sir.”

***


End file.
